In the vacuum cleaner art, it is known that it is desirable to prevent entry of metallic objects, such as paper clips, pins and staples, into the vacuum cleaner housing to prevent damage to interior parts of the housing such as the motor. Various attachments for vacuum cleaners have been developed which position one or more magnets on the vacuum cleaner housing to attract metallic objects before they can enter into the housing and/or into a suction intake passage defined in the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,745 (Haase) describes an attachment for a vacuum cleaner comprising a flexible housing having a series of pockets, each pocket containing a magnet. The attachment housing is attached to a front wall of the vacuum cleaner housing by adhesive tape or screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,260 (Hill) describes an elongated strip of flexible magnetizable material that is attached to the front face of a vacuum cleaner housing by either screws, adhesive tape or VELCRO® and is positioned lower than the front face of the vacuum cleaner housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,439 (Good) describes a magnetic attachment device mounted under the housing and rearwardly of the suction passage. The attachment is secured to a side wall of the housing by a clamp and is laterally adjustable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,095 (Hoy, Jr.) describes a magnetic pick-up device including a plastic housing and magnetic strips mounted in the housing. The magnetic pick-up device is mounted on the front of a vacuum cleaner housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,756 (Korsen) describes a coated magnetic pick-up bar attached to a vacuum cleaner housing with hook and loop fastener material, i.e., VELCRO®.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,119 (Myers) describes a combination protective shield and metal capture apparatus for covering a vacuum cleaner housing. The apparatus includes a pouch fixed to a bonnet which covers the top of the vacuum cleaner housing and a magnet arranged in the pouch. The pouch is situated in front of the vacuum cleaner housing and thereby picks up metallic objects before the vacuum cleaner housing passes over them.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,403 (Strickrodt et al.) describes a protecting guard for a vacuum cleaner bumper that picks up magnetic metal objects in rugs or carpets prior to such objects entering the vacuum cleaner housing. The guard covers the front and sides of the vacuum cleaner housing, while leaving the top of the housing open or easily accessible. The guard is made of a durable outer covering and contains, disposed within the outer covering, a magnet and padding. The bumper is secured to the vacuum cleaner by a strap that can be removably fastened to the bumper, or alternatively the bumper is directly affixed to the vacuum cleaner housing with adhesive.
One concern with some if not all of the above-described magnetic pick-up devices is their durability especially when used on commercial vacuum cleaners. Also, if the magnetic pick-up devices are situated on the exterior of the vacuum cleaner housing, they are liable to constantly impact objects causing damage thereto or causing the magnets to be dislodged and lost.